Nobody Knows Your Heart
by Talietzin
Summary: Ashitaka has been assisting Eboshi in rebuilding Iron Town for several months, and has been away from San for far too long. Ashitaka longs to be with her, but what will happen when he is given a great undertaking? DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

Nobody Knows Your Heart 

A Princess Mononoke fan story

By Jikuuharuto

Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Mononoke. I just love it so much that I want to write a fanfic about it! Also, many thanks to my beta readers!

Author's note: I'm calling the wolves Takeru and Takeshi once again.

Chapter One

Ashitaka stood by the wooden palisade wall as he listened to the women of Iron Town sing their work song, the sweet lyrics sounding to him like a choir in the background as he looked up into the night sky. The cool night breeze blew as a smiling rifleman walked past him on his regular patrol.

He looked at the mountains surrounding the lake around the town; the forest had re-grown so much that he couldn't see a difference from when he first stepped into the forest and this very moment. He took the time to enjoy the scenery, which was quite relaxing for him, as he had found life extremely taxing as of late. Eboshi had been pushing him hard to assist her in just about everything from re-planning the town to escorting the ox drivers on regular supply trips to nearby towns and cities.

He sighed as he looked into the distance. A small, faint shadow was visible in the distance, on a high rock formation that he recognised as the place where, she, had first verbally threatened to kill him. A howl no different from a wolf's was heard, and immediately the riflemen at the wall instinctively turned to face the outside, thinking that the wolves were attacking once again.

"Don't worry. She won't be attacking us," Ashitaka said to the riflemen standing by the wall.

"How can you be so sure?" one of them asked, a hint of worry in his voice. Evidently, they needed more time to adjust to the fact that he had forged a truce between the two sides, and was trying as best he could to maintain it. "You never know…"

On the rock, San howled once more, facing Iron Town, which looked like a match struck in pitch darkness. The light from the town and its forge illuminated the darkness around it, and she found it quite an eyesore.

_Ashitaka… I know you can hear me,_ thought San. _It's been so many moons since we last met._

A sudden low growl caused San to instinctively spring to her feet and brandish her spear, made from a wolf fang and red wood. She gritted her teeth as she spun around and prepared to stab whatever it was, her adrenaline rushing through her veins. Momentarily holding that position, she realised that it was just her two brothers. They had an odd knack for moving around silently when they didn't want to disturb her, but this time, they wanted to speak to her.

"San…" started Takeshi. "You've been here every night the past three moons." He got up and walked to her side as she lowered her spear and scratched his head with her right hand. "We know you miss him dearly."

"Yeah, I do. But I don't want to go down there. I hate that place, and I hate the humans there!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, we know that, but there's one human you don't hate… It's him," replied Takeru as he joined his brother on San's right. He was correct. Ashitaka was a human, but he was unique – he fascinated her in so many ways she thought impossible by humans! He was always putting himself in the middle, trying to stop all the conflicts that might take place. A true advocate of peace, indeed. He was so important to her; she truly wanted to be by his side, but he just never came to visit like he said he would.

"Come on, San. Let's go home," suggested Takeshi. "It is getting very late."

She stood facing Iron Town for a few silent moments, then let out one final howl, after which she hopped on Takeru's back. The trio then charged back into the forest toward their home, deep in the forest.

Ashitaka turned away from the wall a few minutes after the last howl. He knew that San wasn't there any longer, so he decided to go back into the town. _San… Just wait for me, please. I promise, I will come to visit you. _Just as he was about to walk into the living quarters he had been allotted, he decided against it. He turned towards Eboshi's garden, where she usually spent her evenings checking on the previous lepers' guns.

The rifleman guarding the entrance nodded in acknowledgement as Ashitaka responded in kind, and walked on towards Eboshi, who was looking at her plants. "Ashitaka? What brings you here this time of night?" she asked as she turned to him.

"I'd like to leave the town for a while. I just thought I should inform you."

"All right, but where are you going? The townspeople will need your help, you know."

He had to be honest. He wanted to be with her, and from the increasingly desperate tone of the nightly howls, he could sense that San wanted his company as well. "I want to visit San, Princess Mononoke."

Eboshi's expression did not change. She nodded in understanding and said, "You're free to visit her. I can take care of the town for now, but I might need your help later on. How long are you planning on being away?"

"I'll only be a few weeks at most. I'll be back before next month."

_One month… That is quite long, but I guess he deserves it… He's been working long and hard all this while. I'm sure he misses the wolf-girl, _thought Eboshi.

"All right, Ashitaka. You have one month."

"Thank you," he replied as he spun on his heels. A smile was barely visible on his face as he turned and walked out of the garden, clearly quite elated about meeting San again, after such a long period of separation.

That night he tossed and turned in his bed as the very thought of being in San's company enveloped his mind and occupied his every waking moment. Indeed, it would be wonderful. He smiled as he finally stopped turning left and right, trying to calm himself down. _Just one more night…_

The following morning, he awoke to the drumming of the rain against the ground and the roof, and immediately he sighed. He grabbed his mask and cloak, then put them on and ran towards Yakkul, who was right next to the building. As the rain sneaked into his shirt and drenched his sleeves, he mounted Yakkul and made for the main gate. The townspeople greeted him with sceptical looks, wondering why he was dressed like this all of a sudden. It was a sure sign that he was leaving, and they honestly didn't want him to go. He gave them a sense of security; he was an ambassador to the forest and was also their protector. It seemed that he could always find a way to stop any sort of fighting between two sides, and worked as a mediator, if an occasionally violent one when the situation called for it.

"You're leaving?" asked Toki, stepping out of the bellows once she noticed Ashitaka passing by on Yakkul.

"Yes," he answered as Toki followed him.

"You're going to see that wolf-girl, right?" Ashitaka nodded, making his way down the path. He knew that they constantly referred to San as 'the wolf-girl', and had grown accustomed to it. "Okay, then. Take care of yourself!"

"Thank you," he said in reply, smiling with his eyes closed. "I'll be back in a few weeks." With that, he took off on the great elk's back, charging down the muddy dirt path, leaving Toki behind.

The men at the gate were about to let the gate slam shut, when Ashitaka zipped by. "Hold it!" exclaimed Gonza as the last of the ox drivers and the oxen carrying rice came in. The men who were operating the gate struggled to hold their positions; the weight of the gate was too much to bear for too long, and they knew that Gonza was going to take quite a while to speak to Ashitaka. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to the forest!" he replied as he rode away on Yakkul. Relieved, the men let go of the spokes protruding from the contraption that opened the gate, and it slammed shut.

"Sometimes I wonder why he does these things…" muttered Gonza as he turned and headed back into the town.

"Come on, Yakkul," he urged, to which the elk charged across the open grassland. "Let's stop by the lake. I need a quick bath." The elk stopped by the lake near the bridge, and he dismounted, removing his clothes and shoes, draping them over Yakkul. He then dove into the lake, which was now full miraculously of fish. Evidently, the Forest Spirit had brought life back to every single part of the forest. After a few minutes, he went back to the bank and clothed himself, then mounted Yakkul again. "Let's go!"

Yakkul sped through the forest, through the thick undergrowths and over synthetic dirt paths that lead to and from Iron Town. Life was abundant in the forest now; everywhere, there were animals and insects and plants of all sorts now!

"Where was their den?" wondered Ashitaka aloud. Yakkul immediately stopped and changed his direction, understanding that Ashitaka wanted to go there. The trip was smooth despite the rain, and it was a good thing that the wolves' den was atop a rock formation. There would be no slippery mud to scramble up, so the journey upwards would not be as difficult as it would be if it had been a hill.

Once he was at the top, he dismounted Yakkul and hurried inside, his adrenaline gushing through his body as he thought of seeing San face-to-face. However, he saw nobody inside. He only saw a bearskin blanket and a bed of leaves, which he had slept in before. Curious as to where she was, he went out and began shouting her name to get her attention.

"She's out hunting with my brother. She'll be home soon," said Takeshi as Ashitaka yelled even louder. All the shouting was hurting his sensitive ears, which had been trained to detect the slightest sound. "Meanwhile, you can wait for her."

"All right," replied Ashitaka as he headed inside. Takeshi jumped off the top and entered as well. The only true respite from the rain was a shelter such as this; the trees would not suffice. Ashitaka wondered why Takeshi would be here while San and her brother went to hunt. He assumed that he was either too tired to hunt, or some other plan or routine that they had.

"I'm sure you know by now that San has been on that hill every night for the last few moons, howling towards that godforsaken place of humans. She clearly misses you dearly."

"I go to that wall and look at where she howls from every night. The howling gets louder and more desperate every time."

"Yes… We've noticed that too. You know, this isn't a very healthy thing. You're always on her mind now. She seems to be lost in her own world at times, and at others, she appears to be simply unable to concentrate on anything."

"I see." Ashitaka nodded in acknowledgement, then lay against the wall. He wasn't tired, but he was hungry. He had had nothing to eat that morning, and he was trying his best to suppress his hunger. As if to answer the cries of his starving stomach, San announced her presence with a howl as she leapt off Takeru with the spoils of her hunt in hand. She was carrying half of a young boar, whereas Takeru had the other half of the flesh in his mouth. Immediately, Takeshi moved out of the cave to join his brother for breakfast, while San walked inside.

"Ashitaka!" she exclaimed, almost dropping the food in her hands. She quickly put it down and he greeted her with an embrace.

"I know it's been too long, but I had no choice." San was just glad that he was here. Finally, after so long, she was actually truly happy for once. She didn't mind that he hadn't come to visit her as often as she would have liked, but at least he was now here. "I'll spend the next few weeks with you before I return to Iron Town. All right?"

She nodded and broke the embrace, grabbing her knife and slicing the boar's flesh apart. Ashitaka looked curiously on as she swiftly and cleanly cut the boar into pieces, which made it far easier to consume than the way her brothers did. They could easily rip the flesh off with their massive jaws and razor-sharp fangs, but San was different in those ways. She possessed neither the massive crunching power nor the mighty fangs that they did, and thus had to improvise.

Ashitaka sat beside her and grabbed a piece of the raw boar flesh. It had a tough feeling to it; evidently, the boars were strong as they were. Then, he began to wonder how the boars should exist here. They should have been wiped out in the massacre so long ago, but now, right before his eyes lay half the carcass of a boar.

"What's wrong?" enquired San as she stopped chewing the meat in her mouth. Ashitaka had to suppress the involuntary action of laughter as he listened to San speak with a full, bloodied mouth. Indeed, it was quite the joke, the fearsome wolf-girl chewing her meat and talking with her mouth full of it.

"Nothing. Where I come from, we were taught to cook our food before consuming it," replied Ashitaka as he fiddled with the piece of flesh in his hand. He turned it over and over, some of the blood splattering onto his face on occasion.

"Cook?" San asked as she swallowed her meat, puzzled. Never before had she come across such terminology when her mother brought her up.

"Never mind," replied Ashitaka as he put the meat into his mouth. It had a very foreign feeling and taste to it; he had never eaten boar's flesh in this manner before. He always cooked his food the way he had been taught, and it had since become a routine to do so. However, it would take forever to explain to San what it meant to cook. Even then, she wouldn't actually need to know about it – she had been raised as a wolf, and would eat, sleep, drink and breathe like one the rest of her life.

Once breakfast was over, Ashitaka lay on the same bearskin blanket he was in a few months ago. He looked outside at the lake and the forest below, and at the grey storm clouds above. Evidently, the rain was going to continue for quite a while. This was a welcome sight, however. Recently, the weather had been warm, and cases of dehydration and heatstroke within Iron Town had risen exponentially. That was one cause for worry; he was placed in charge of the general welfare of the townspeople! Fortunately, Iron Town was built in such proximity to the lake that water was never an issue.

"How've you been these few months?" he asked, having spent a few moments staring outside.

"I don't know what this feelings is... Every night, I went to that hilltop to howl, but I don't know why."

"I know. I saw you every night at that spot, and I watched and listened to you until you left," came his honest reply. "I should have come to visit you sooner, but at least I'm her now, and I'll be here for quite a while," he added with a grin. San absently fondled the crystal dagger that Ashitaka had given her as she sat next to him in the den, ignoring her brothers' mischievous yet suspicious looks.

"We'd best leave them alone," said Takeshi to his brother.

"I still don't trust the human."

"You will have to in time to come. He is, after all, her potential mate."

"Hmph."

Both wolves turned and walked into the forest, leaving the duo to their own devices. Indeed, it was absolute bliss for the two to be united once more. For too long, they had been separated.

"Why don't you like the idea of them being together? I find it very fitting."

"For one thing, he is a human. San may look like a human, but at heart, she is a wolf."

"But… Their feelings for each other are certainly genuine. Can you not sense it?"

Takeru felt tempted to bite into his brother's neck at the mere mention of that. He was very protective of San, and he certainly did not like the idea of San being with a human, of all things. However, it was a fact that San was physically human.

"Yes… Yes. But… San cannot…"

"My brother, there are some things we cannot stop. We must not try to break them apart. All that would do is bring more pain to our dearest sister. Surely you would not wish that upon her?" Takeru turned his head towards the cave, which had by now become a tiny rock formation in the distance. Takeshi was right; there were some things that were uncontrollable, particularly relationships between two parties.

"You are right... However… If he harms her in any way whatsoever, I will kill him myself."

Takeshi mentally sighed. His brother lacked self-control, but sometimes, it could be a good thing. Indeed, some things were uncontrollable… Things such as his brother's temperament, which was one thing he and San had in common.

That afternoon, San and Ashitaka left the wolves' abode and leisurely rode on Yakkul through the forest, in all its beauty and serenity. San sat in front of Ashitaka and leaned back on him, her spear placed on her lap, its pointed end facing her left. Ashitaka held her by the waist, his arms wrapping around her such that his left hand would be touching her right hip, and his right, her left hip. She leaned back against him as Yakkul randomly walked around, grazing whenever Ashitaka gave him the signal to stop.

"I've never seen such a beautiful forest," commented Ashitaka as Yakkul continued walking through the forest. "It's even more beautiful than when I first came here."

"The Forest Spirit brought the forest back so quickly… It's amazing."

Ashitaka nodded. He had never had the time to truly enjoy the scenery of the forest. The events that had taken place prior to Eboshi's slaying of the Forest Spirit had happened so quickly that he was always moving quickly everywhere without time to settle down and enjoy the serenity of the forest.

"Hmm… How about a change of pace?" suggested Ashitaka. San suddenly looked up as Ashitaka tapped his heels on Yakkul's side, a signal that initiated his conditioned reflex. And indeed, that reflex was to run at maximum speed. Yakkul sped through the forest, bursting out of it through the dense undergrowth and into the open as his riders sat through the ride. The elk slowed down as the slope gradually got steeper downhill, so as to let gravity assist him in maintaining downward speed.

The wind hit San hard in the face as Yakkul continued downhill, drying her eyes and stinging her cheeks. Even as Yakkul slowed, she could still feel the wind against her face, as if it would be eternally there. It had become the most natural thing of her life for that amount of time, and even when Yakkul stopped charging recklessly through the forest, she could still feel the rushing of the wind. The feeling would linger for quite a bit of time.

As the trio came to rest at a hilltop sheltered by the thick overlapping canopies of the tall trees, they noticed that the massive downpour had deteriorated into a lazy drizzle, which could barely count as rainfall.

"What did you do that for?" demanded San as she stabbed a finger into Ashitaka's back when he dismounted.

"I couldn't resist. I was in high spirits then," his hearty reply came. She could do little but smile slightly as he mounted Yakkul once more. She followed suit, sitting behind him this time, as he signalled for Yakkul to return to the wolves' den. It was already evening; the remaining meat from the morning's hunt would not last until dinnertime.

Upon their return, the two wolf brothers immediately blocked their path. Takeru demanded, "Where have you been? We could not find any of you when we returned, and your scents trailed away into the forest."

Only after he had finished his sentence did he realise that San was capable of taking care of herself; that San had every right to choose what she wanted to do. She was no longer a child!

"We were letting Yakkul run around the forest, and we rode along with him," answered San.

"San, you know better than to run where we cannot find you!" Takeshi added for Takeru, who was now speechless. He could say nothing more, as he had already cornered himself by questioning her thus, and he felt rather relieved that Takeshi was assisting him, even if only for now.

"I'm not a pup anymore! I can take care of myself!" she exclaimed as she dismounted Yakkul. Takeru stepped aside with his head lowered, a sign of submission. Takeshi followed suit, and Ashitaka also dismounted Yakkul, who continued on his way to the den.

"All right… We will ask no further," Takeru stated, a slight growl following his sentence. San made no response, but held her spear in her right hand as she stepped forward.

"It's time for our hunt. Let's go," said Takeshi, making his way into the forest without a word. Takeru looked at Ashitaka, who had draped his cloak and mask over Yakkul, and was now running towards them. "As for him…"

"The human stays!" Takeru yelled in his deep, low voice, growling.

"What's wrong with you?" Takeshi whispered. "Have you forgotten what I told you!"

"This is a clan activity!"

"He's one of us now, is he not? Calm down!"

Takeru simply growled and turned away, walking through the woods as Ashitaka caught up to them. "What happened?" asked Ashitaka as he caught up to them. San followed the wolves as they went through the forest, Ashitaka following to her left.

"He just doesn't like you very much," San plainly stated, noticing that her brother had suddenly stopped. She immediately crouched, her spear in hand. The hunt had begun. Their prey had not yet noticed their presence, and that was a good thing. The two wolves fanned out to the sides while San went forward, looking back once to confirm that Ashitaka was still there. In fact, he was following behind her with one of the swords forged by the Iron Town blacksmiths in his hands.

Suddenly, all activity stopped as the deer they were targeting continued to graze on the grass. Evidently, it had strayed from the group it was following. Normally, food would not come this easily. As if they were psychic, all three of the Wolf Clan sprang from their cover within the undergrowth, with San letting out a battle cry as she brought her spear to bear. The stunned dear dashed forward only to be blocked by Takeshi, who bit into its neck as San drove her spear into it. The resulting gush of blood coloured both of their faces crimson as Ashitaka came forward, Takeru to his rear.

Once they were certain that the deer had perished, they quartered it swiftly, consuming the meat immediately. That morning, they had only brought the food back because Takeshi wanted to stay and watch over their home, but since they were gathered here, they decided that they might as well have their dinner on the spot.

Eating food raw was not too foreign an experience; there were times when he had had to eat raw flesh to survive. However, he was more used to having cooked food in his bowl. He mentally sighed and cut away at the flesh, eating his fill while ensuring that the blood did not overflow and stain his clothes.

The trip back to the den was uneventful and awkwardly quiet, and the night sky was full of glimmering stars, which was something that could not be seen from Iron Town. The industrial work affected the view of the night; it clouded the stars from sight. Fortunately, the iron works in the town were not as big as they were before, for fear of incurring nature's wrath. Ultimately, in a struggle against the forces of nature, those opposingnature would lose.

Ashitaka took his place on the bearskin, sitting with his legs crossed. He faced the moon, which was a beautiful sight to behold. The night breeze blew through the den, and brought about a sensation of coolness in the place. San sat to his left, facing where he was looking but seeing nothing of particular interest.

Unconsciously, his mind drifted back to that night when Moro had spoken to him about San's fate. He didn't want her to die as Moro said she would. He wanted to find a way to live with San without having to side with either world; the humans or the forest. Siding with one would result in more pain and hatred being created, so he would have to adjust accordingly, and somehow appear to be neutral whilst helping both sides. He then looked at her in the eyes, and she returned the favour.

"Ashitaka?" she began. "I'm not sure what I've been feeling recently. It's confusing. Whenever I think of you not by my side, my heart seems to hurt. But when I think of you being by my side, it aches even more."

"San, don't worry. I won't leave you, no matter what happens. I'll always be near." With that, he brought her into his arms, and she simply rested her head on his chest, putting her ear to his heart. The warmth he gave her was comforting, and it calmed her more than anything else could. Ashitaka lay on the bearskin with San on top of him, and they remained as such until the darkness that was sleep took them.


	2. Chapter 2

Nobody Knows Your Heart

A Princess Mononoke fan story

By Jikuuharuto

Chapter Two

Contented in his peaceful half-asleep Ashitaka was gently awoken by pleasant, if unusual, sounds._ I hear _s_inging… Who's singing?_ Ashitaka asked himself. He had become quite a light sleeper, and was usually not drawn into deep sleep because at any point in time, he might have to leap out of his bed to take care of matters that the townsfolk might need quick help with. It seemed to Ashitaka sometimes that they thought he was some sort of messiah; that he could do everything they needed him to.

Fortunately, they had turned part of the town into a garment district, and the outside land was used for massive rice farming. Terracing solved the problem when there was no space, as the area was extremely mountainous. Eboshi had promised to build a better town – one that did not produce as much pollution as before. He had personally made the recommendation of farming, utilising the mountainous area for terracing to grow some rice. This would greatly reduce the costs of food, and avoid risking ambushes by samurai. Also, a sector was set aside so that Eboshi could experiment with the production of garments. The townspeople felt that their choice of clothing was lacking, but that was not the only issue to be addressed. It would reduce pollution, and would hence be less taxing on the forest, which would need plenty of time to grow back.

He opened his eyes, then tensed his abdominal muscles and rose slightly, only now noticing that San was no longer on him. A beautiful female voice… It could only be one person. Above the sound of the rain, he could hear her song loud and clear.

_Haritsumeta yumi no furueru tsuru yo_

_Tsuki no hikari ni zawameku omae no kokoro_

He lay where he was, intending to listen to her as she sang. At the edge of the protruding rock, she sang in the night, despite the pouring rain beating down on her.

_Togisumasareta yaiba no utsukushii_

_Sono kissaki ni yoku nita sonata no yokogao_

He shut his eyes, firstly to pretend he was asleep, and secondly to enjoy her song to the fullest. Indeed, she possessed a stunningly beautiful singing voice, and certainly a much better personality.

_Kanashimi to ikari ni hisomu _

_Makoto no kokoro wo shiru wa mori no sei_

Indeed… Nobody could understand her emotions completely. She had been feeling deep sorrow and anger for such a long time that any other feelings that she might have been lost in all the confusion. The loss of her mother, the death of Okkoto and the slaying of the Forest Spirit, combined with the destruction of the forest all dealt her several consecutive blows.

_Mononoke tachi dake_

_Mononoke tachi dake_

_Only the Mononoke?_ he wondered. _Yes… Only the spirits can understand her now. They are a completely different entity; perhaps they can see through a person's mind, body and soul all at once…_ He wanted to change that. He wanted San to know that she could trust him, and could pour whatever she was bottling inside out to him.

_Haritsumeta yumi no furueru tsuru yo_

_Tsuki no hikari ni zawameku omae no kokoro_

He could almost feel her heart pounding in the moonlight as she sang, pouring her emotions into it. It was a powerful, yet saddening song.

_Togisumasareta yaiba no utsukushii_

_Sono kissaki ni yoku nita sonata no yokogao_

The beauty of a sharpened blade… The lyrics seemed to make less and less sense as he thought about them, but he agreed that a blacksmith's satisfaction would come from forging a beautiful blade. Perhaps that was the analogy in use…

_Kanashimi to ikari ni hisomu _

_Makoto no kokoro wo shiru wa mori no sei_

This was the most powerful verse of the song. One could easily feel what kinds of emotions she was releasing right there and then; the song itself was immensely powerful. Lurking in anger, indeed… She was in the midst of it all, enduring all of it!

_Mononoke tachi dake_

_Mononoke tachi dake_

Ahh, the lament that not one living creature, human or animal, could understand her. Ashitaka could understand why she might be thinking in such a manner – she was unique. As far as he knew, she never confided in anyone, and wanted to deal with her internal turmoil herself. He was the only human she ever allowed into the forest; into this beautiful world that once belonged to the Forest Spirit.

_Kanashimi to ikari ni hisomu_

_Makoto no kokoro wo shiru wa mori no sei_

This time, this verse was even more powerful. As if timed perfectly, the rain became heavier, and as she began this verse, a bolt of lightning streaked across the night sky, momentarily illuminating the cave.

_Mononoke tachi dake_

_Mononoke tachi dake_

As the song ended, San turned around, half-expecting Ashitaka to be awake. She had sung so loudly; she wouldn't be surprised if he had awoken. And indeed, he was there, sitting cross-legged as she approached.

"You have a beautiful voice," he commented. "Who taught you the song?"

"My mother used to sing it to me when I was a pup. Now, when I feel confused, I just sing that song. It helps me to relax," she replied as she walked back into the shelter. The rain had completely drenched her from head to toe, and it was not something she was particularly happy about. Despite that, she rapidly shook the water off herself like a canine would, her hair still dripping wet.

"Where do your brothers sleep?" asked Ashitaka, curious. If she slept here, and the wolf brothers didn't join her inside, where did they sleep?

"Mother taught them never to enter at night, so they're accustomed to spending their nights outside. Don't worry about them; they'll be all right." He nodded in response, and she sat in front of him as she let her hair dry. Spending the nights outside… That would be a beautiful thing; sleeping under the stars, with nothing to worry about but each other.

"Do you feel better now?" he asked. She made no verbal response, but simply nodded. She lay back on the bed of leaves, using her wet wolf pelt to cover herself. He silently sighed, releasing a deep breath. He then covered her with the bearskin blanket and stroked her hair a few times. He looked at her for several moments before he himself lay back on the bearskin he was sitting on, and returned to sleep.

The following morning, he awoke to see a large mass of white upon his torso. Immediately, he assumed it was one of the wolf brothers, and nearly leapt to his feet like an arrow to the sky. However, he noticed that there was no distinct growling, and that the mass was still far too small to be one of the wolves. Also, the colour of the fur was too pure a white to be one of the wolves, who possessed more bluish furs.

_San,_ he thought. _Don't frighten me like that..._

"You're finally awake," she said, a hint of annoyance barely detectable, and a small smile upon her face. She uncovered her head, then licked his cheek, blushing slightly. Fortunately for her, because of the tattooed marks upon her face, the blush could not easily be seen.

"Yes, I am," came his reply as he threw his arms around her. She made no effort to fight his embrace; she wanted to feel the special warmth that it gave her. This warmth was not physical; it was not the kind that could be provided by a fire or her family's fur. It was a feeling within her, and as such, only one person could give it to her. They gazed into each other's eyes in that position, until San spoke.

"Ashitaka… I've been feeling… sorrowful about the future. It just seems so bleak…"

"Why do you say so?"

"I can't envision the two of us blissfully living together in the future. I loathe the humans, and they don't trust the forest. You're always trapped in the middle, trying not to side with either party. I just don't think it's possible."

"San… I can't side with either without making enemies with the other. I don't want to fight you, and I don't want to fight with the other humans, either. All that would do is bring about more hatred and pain to everyone. We will make our own path: one that doesn't deviate from its course; that will never lead to a specific side. A path of neutrality."

She saw the fire in his eyes at that very moment. She could sense the resolve in his voice. As much as she despised the humans, she wanted to follow Ashitaka's path. It was not merely interesting – it was fascinating that he could think of creating his own path in the world! Perhaps, this would pave the way for true peace between the humans and Mother Nature.

Ashitaka's ideas had influenced her greatly. Violence would only lead to more death and destruction, and he, an advocate of peace, wanted to bring about a truce before the situation spiraled out of control. Indeed, one man could do only so much. With San's help, perhaps it would be possible.

"If the two of you are done with your sweet nothings… I believe that breakfast is ready," Takeru stated, growling more because of hunger than anger or jealousy.

"Why didn't you wake me for the hunt?" questioned San. It was a clan activity, after all. How could they leave her out of it?

"We saw you lying on top of him and decided not to disturb you. We went hunting on our own, and we dragged this deer carcass back," replied Takeshi, pointing his snout towards the carcass. San and Ashitaka came out of the lair, and made their way towards the carcass. It was not humongous, but it was big enough to feed all four of them.

_Oh, how I miss Emishi porridge…_ thought Ashitaka as he sliced the deer's front legs. He noticed that the same killing method had been used – the throat was punctured and pressure applied until the animal had perished. He then passed a cut of the meat to San, who immediately sat on the grass and devoured it. The two wolf brothers ended up biting into the carcass and playing a stalemated game of tug-of-war, with blood splattering all over their fur.

"They're always like this during mealtimes. Neither of them wants to give in to the other," stated San as she bit into her cut of the deer's flesh.

"Hmm. Well, as they age, they naturally want more and more dominance over each other." San agreed with Ashitaka, but her mouth was currently too full of meat and blood for her to say anything. Ashitaka, on the other hand, was still trying to adapt to the somewhat alien taste of the blood.

As the two wolf brothers continued their miniature war, Ashitaka sat in deep thought, his eyes blankly staring into space. It was a habit of his now. Whenever he needed to think about something, he would sit in that cozy shelter that Eboshi had had the townsfolk erect, and just think about what he needed to contemplate. It often resulted in him coming up with solutions to problems, and it was thanks to these times of pure thinking that he suggested to Eboshi the ways she could reconstruct Iron Town in less polluting manners.

It was quite amazing that they had reconstructed most of the town in the short span of a few months. They had firstly rebuilt the forge but cut down its size, and reduced the level of mining greatly. Most of the homes they lived in were still makeshift shelters, having had their houses destroyed when the Forest Spirit was slain. Rifle production continued, as well as the making of iron. However, the iron they made was mostly for subsistence. Spare iron was used to make weapons, be they close or long-ranged.

Recently, craftsmen from all trades had come to this town upon hearing of it, wanting to ply their trade in a land rich with resources. It would not only profit them, but the town would stand to gain as well. Diversity could be a good thing, especially since iron production had to be reduced exponentially.

"Ashitaka?" San called out with some meat still in her mouth. In the seamless manner he used to, he slipped out of his trance-like state of thought and turned to her. "What's the matter?"

"No, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about the future. I will create a better future for all of us, but I cannot do it alone. I will need the help of both you and the people of the town."

"As long as they keep to their word and don't harm the forest any more than they need for survival, I'll help you. But I'm not going down there."

"I know, San. You don't have to. Eboshi has agreed not to do any extensive damage to the forest." With that, they continued their meals, filling their starving stomachs. "But they're terracing the hillsides so they can plant rice to some extent instead of having to buy it with their iron."

San put down the piece of meat in her hands, feeling full. It was a good thing that Eboshi had not lied, and that she was actually making an effort to change the town for the better. The forge was still in operation, and it was still quite the eyesore. She could smell the stink of the iron works from afar – even at the rock formation, the scent was still around.

"I still don't like them having those bellows around. Are they still making those weapons?"

"Yes… But they're not mass-producing them like they used to. They're only making them for self-defence." It was true. Most of the rifles had been lost months ago, and now, there were barely enough rifles to guard the walls with!

"But they're still making them," insisted San. She abhorred the deadly weapons that the humans employed, and it was a personal thing. Eboshi's bullet had sapped Moro's strength bit by bit, and slowly killed her over the course of those few days. She was not bitter about it, but the grudge she bore against Eboshi remained, and the thought of her adoptive mother's death only served to fuel her anger.

"I understand what you mean, but I can't stop them altogether. Besides that, I'm certain that those samurai will regroup for another attack on the town. Eboshi has the interests of her people at heart. She's not the kind of person she's made out to be."

"Still, she killed my mother and the Forest Spirit!"

"Yes, San. She did, but she's trying to atone for her mistakes. Give her a chance."

"Never!"

Ashitaka was disinclined to reply. It would not calm her fury, and if she exploded, there would be hell to pay. It would also make him seem to be taking sides, which was the one thing he did not want to do. All he wanted right now was to enjoy his break from the stress of helping Eboshi with the reconstruction and redevelopment of Iron Town.

The frown upon San's face gradually faded into a relaxed expression, which comforted Ashitaka. For now, he could spend all his time every day with her, and begin to pave the way for peace between humans and nature.

Most of the days were spent simply wandering through the forest with or without Yakkul. On occasion, they sent Yakkul to run free in the forest for a few hours, while they relaxed and chatted about more mundane things, and any news that they had for each other. Starlit nights were the most wonderful thing about the forest. From the town, it was impossible to see any of the beautiful sights they beheld together in the forest. Of course, when it did rain, they spent their time elsewhere, either under the cover of the trees or in the cave.

**Three weeks later…**

Dawn. It was already dawn. Calmly, Ashitaka lay San on the leaves to his left, taking extra care not to awaken her. He shivered; the cool breeze blowing through the cave added to the effect of the rain that had been falling lately. For a few moments, he simply looked at her in deep sleep. Her expression was so pure and innocent, and as such, her beauty was magnified. He pulled the bearskin blanket over her and silently got up, picking up his things calmly and quietly.

Ashitaka awoke a dozing Yakkul, already fully dressed for travel. The last few weeks he had spent with San and her brothers were actually rather rewarding. The initial friction between he and the brothers had long since become friendship. Her brothers continued to eye him suspiciously, but not as suspiciously as before he had come. They had begun to trust him slightly, as they saw that he always kept his word. They had been testing him these three weeks, but he knew naught of it. They wanted to know if he would truly be suitable for San's mate. And indeed, he was passing the battery tests they bombarded him with.

"You're leaving without saying goodbye to her?" a familiar low voice said from behind, above him.

"Yes. I have to go today, and I'm expected to be at the gate by daybreak. Also…" he turned his head to the cave. "I want to let her sleep a while more." He then set his glance above the entrance, and saw Takeru lying next to his sleeping brother atop the rock.

"Very well… But remember, if anything strange happens, you will find your head in my mouth before you know it. Farewell."

Ashitaka nodded, and mounted Yakkul. "Come on, Yakkul. Let's hurry back to the town." The elk, still half-asleep, began the descent from the rock formation slowly, so as not to take any risks of slipping and falling all the way down. It was a long fall, one that would certainly kill any careless fellow.

He would miss San after all these weeks of being close to her. Yes, he was always nearby, but his work would not permit him to leave the town as and when he pleased. Besides that, Gonza would be suspicious about his behaviour, and question why he was leaving so often. Not only would it waste time; it would also waste time and effort reassuring everyone that he was not siding with either party.

He sighed as Yakkul began to pick up the pace. He hurried through the forest back to the town, trying to avoid taking unknown routes so that he would not get lost. The forest was massive, and the Kodama did not always automatically offer to assist anyone in passing through the forest.

"Yakkul, I know you're hungry, but we're almost there. It's just a little farther, now." The elk began to speed up, and eventually he was speeding down the path that lead to Iron Town. This was quite a pleasant surprise, as Yakkul would usually be too tired to run at this speed when he was hungry.

Fortunately for Ashitaka, the gates were opened so that the people working the rice fields, drainage and water supply systems could begin their work for the day. He and Yakkul returned to the town, and everyone seemed strangely glad to see him.

"Sir! Thank goodness you're here!" exclaimed Kouroku, waving his arms frantically. His fractured arm and leg had healed quite a while ago, when the Forest Spirit miraculously brought everything in the forest back.

"What's the matter?" he asked, dismounting Yakkul.

"Lady Eboshi needs to see you! Please, go to her!" he urged. The tone of his voice said everything about the situation. It certainly was that important.

"Where is she? What happened?"

"Please, just go see her! She said she'd be waiting for you in the garden!"

Ashitaka immediately took off, thoughts racing through his mind as he pondered about what could possibly have happened. Was it the samurai? Was it more trouble from Jigo and his Karakasa Ren? What could it be? As he stepped into Eboshi's garden, he noticed that Eboshi was pacing around, which was not a natural thing. What could possibly be worrying her so?

"What happened?" he enquired as Eboshi turned around. She was slightly startled, but otherwise remained composed.

"It's Asano. Now that Iron Town has been rebuilt, he intends to come and attack us again, since his own forces have been amassed. He has issued us an ultimatum: Give up our town or die. The deadline has yet to be given to us, but you know that we cannot do this. The iron is our livelihood, Ashitaka."

"I understand. What must I do?" his heart began to race as he considered the possible consequences of his actions. If he failed, not only the town would be destroyed, but perhaps even the forest. If there was one thing he didn't want, it was another conflict. San would definitely not be jovial about it, and neither would the forest wildlife be happy with the human activity.

"You, Ashitaka… I will need you to be our diplomat. You are the best candidate I know of for this assignment. Gonza is too hotheaded, and the women are tactless in speech. They have no respect for men like Asano, and our men are either too timid or have little ability for negotiation. Hence, the job is now up to you," she said, placing her remaining arm upon his shoulder. "I will need you to leave as soon as possible. Gather anything you may need, and I will send you to Asano with two of our riflemen."

Riflemen? What would they be for? Eboshi already said that the men would not be of much use in a negotiation. As if to answer his question, she explained that they would be present so as to ensure his escape in case it was needed. He wanted to decline the offer of having escorts, but Eboshi insisted that they would be more than willing to accompany him. As such, he had no choice in the matter, and hurriedly readied his personal effects. He had reclaimed his bow, quiver and arrow after the whole series of events leading up to the sudden reappearance of the entire forest, and brought them along just in case they were needed later on.

Eboshi assigned two men to escort Ashitaka, and they were given captured horses from battles with the samurai to ride on. Perhaps the battles with the samurai were not completely pointless, in her opinion. As the trio rode out through the gate that morning, another trio was in the forest, waiting for Ashitaka to pass through.

"Are you sure he'll be here?"

"We saw him leave the town. He will pass through here; have patience," replied a low voice.

Minutes later, leaves rustled and several branches cracked, and immediately, they could tell that the young man and his escorts were on their way through. They stood in the path of the direction he was coming from, and waited. Seconds later, they saw him, and he immediately stopped upon noticing them. His escorts followed suit, stopping their horses.

"San?"

"Where are you going, human?" demanded Takeru, baring his fangs. He was angry as usual, but this time, it was because Ashitaka was leaving the forest. Why would he want or need to leave? Yakkul showed no visible fear, but the others' horses were showing signs of hesitation. They were starting to back up, but the riflemen tried to keep them calm. "Answer!"

"I'm on a diplomatic mission for Eboshi," explained Ashitaka. It was the truth, and they would have to understand the situation. "I have to talk Lord Asano out of attacking Iron Town. I'm the only one who can do it, San. Please, understand."

"Why?" came her simple question. Why did he have to help the humans? He always appeared to be on their side although it might not truly be the case that he was. But could she still trust him? Was he really not siding with them?

"San, if I don't do this, then Asano will attack the town. The humans will defile this forest, and they will create even more problems than the new town ever will. I don't want anymore people to die. I just want everyone to live in harmony with the inhabitants of this forest."

"Hmph. You talk big, but can you really do as you say?" said Takeru, doubting Ashitaka. Could he alone stop a powerful samurai lord?

"I don't know, but I must try. I will go to any length to stop more violence and killing! Please, let me through," he said. His eyes were resolute and his voice was firm, as he looked right into Takeru's eyes. The wolf was growling – evidently, he wasn't in the least happy about Ashitaka's leaving the forest to help the humans. In fact, he wasn't exactly very happy in any way with Ashitaka!

Takeru turned to San, who was locked in a battle within her. Should she permit him to pass through and help Eboshi, and in turn help her forest? She decided there and then, that if it meant that the forest would be unharmed, she would do it. As Takeru expected, she stepped aside. Ashitaka nodded with a slight smile to thank her, and the riders were on their way once more.

As they disappeared into the forest, the wolves looked at each other. Takeshi could only nod, and walked away with Takeru trailing behind him. San remained where she stood, watching Ashitaka ride away on Yakkul, uncertain whether he would return. He had left her so suddenly that morning, and was only relieved of her momentary panic because her brothers told her that he wanted to let her sleep more. But what now? Would she have to continue worrying?

Her brothers wanted to know what he was up to, and hence told her to wait in the forest while they stalked him and waited in the undergrowth outside the town. They had been waiting, and traced his scent all the way back to that godforsaken home of the humans. That damned fortress was truly an eyesore. She sighed as she listened to the fading footfalls of the horses.

_Ashitaka…Promise me you'll be back safe and sound… I need you._

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What will happen? Will Ashitaka succeed? Will San have to deal with more emotional luggage?

Stay tuned to find out. :D

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Heya, readers. 3 Thanks for reading and reviewing. :D Tell me what you think of this one chapter. :O

And yeah, I still can't get their personalities 100 right, but still, it's an improvement over my previous fanfic, which was a literary disaster. XD

Special thanks to Bizmarck as well, for taking the time to help me bybeta reading my work,providing useful critiques and making edits where necessary!

Cheers.


	3. Chapter 3

Nobody Knows Your Heart

A Princess Mononoke fan story

By Jikuuharuto

Chapter Three

The gates of Asano's castle. They were tall, and well guarded. Samurai patrolled the entrances, walls, exits and even the drains of the entire castle. Why would he need so many guards? Ashitaka mentally shrugged as the trio approached the gates, and two samurai immediately demanded that they halt.

They had come a long way from the forest. The journey had taken several days, with only occasional stops for rest and to purchase food for the journey. Already, he was missing San dearly. He just wanted to finish this diplomatic mission so that the forest would not be harmed, and neither would the townspeople.

He swallowed his saliva as one of the samurai approached.

"State your business," commanded the samurai in a threatening manner, preparing to draw his sword. His fingers hovered by his side, prepared to snatch the katana from its sheath and slice him in half.

"I am here as an envoy to speak to Lord Asano," Ashitaka politely answered, wanting to sound as friendly as possible, yet also formal.

"Speak to Lord Asano? Are you out of your mind? Our lord does not speak with someone dressed like yourself!" snapped the samurai. Who did this man think he was? He was dressed oddly, rode a strange creature and carried weapons, and had two armed escorts. He seemed more like an assassin than an envoy! If anything, all this made him extremely suspicious!

"Please, I must speak with him." It was something that had to be done. If he didn't speak to Asano himself, there would be no chance that Eboshi and her townspeople could survive at the rate they were producing their iron.

"Be gone, before I slice you to pieces!"

"That will be enough, Yahiko. Not another word from you," said another samurai as he walked from the door. "Please, pardon my friend, Sir. You may enter, but we will require you to leave your weapons behind."

"Very well," Ashitaka answered as he removed the bow and quivers, and handed them to the samurai along with his sword. Fortunately, he had concealed a short sword under his shirt, with half the sheath tucked inside his trousers. It was at his lower back, and he could easily reach it. This was necessary as a precaution, but Ashitaka sincerely hoped he would not have to use it. "Thank you."

The escorts also had the same weapons hidden in their clothing, but handed over their Ishibiya. They would not want to cause any trouble by refusing to hand over the weapons, or using them to shoot the samurai. They were outnumbered and deep within their territory. If they were to cause any trouble here, they were doomed. They wouldn't be able to step very far from the gate before they were riddled with arrows.

"You may now pass, Sir," the samurai said, walking to the gates. The gates were opened, and Ashitaka and his escorts dismounted from their steeds. "Please, follow me." Several minutes later, after following the samurai down several winding corridors and up some stairs, they eventually reached the outside of a chamber where the samurai stopped. "Kindly wait here, Sirs."

The samurai entered the room chamber, and the trio were left to wait outside.

"Do you think he'll listen to us?" asked one of the escorts, his left hand subconsciously adjusting the scabbard for his short sword. "In all probability, he'll just send more samurai down to our town."

"He has to listen to us," Ashitaka said, clenching his fist. "However… If I fail and he places me under arrest, the two of you will escape, return to the town, and bring Yakkul, my elk, to the forest. Release him there; he will know what to do." Even he felt it odd that he was saying such things. However, his gut was telling him that Asano would not readily agree not to attack. It would be far too profitable for him to give up!

The escorts were baffled, but they agreed. As long as one of them could reach the town, Eboshi would get wind of Asano's plans should they come to light. Then, the samurai returned, and gestured for them to enter.

"Lord Asano will speak with you."

They entered the chamber, which seemed to be the court of the castle. The trio bowed and kneeled, as they probably would have been forced to if the didn't. Such was the style of feudal Japan's shoguns.

"We bring you greetings from Lady Eboshi, Lord Asano," said Ashitaka, sounding as formal and humble as he could bring himself to.

"Ahh, that stubborn woman who refused to give up her iron. I assume that you know of the ultimatum I have issued."

"Yes, Sir. We are here to implore you to withdraw the ultimatum, Lord Asano, for the benefit of your samurai," replied Ashitaka. He was bluffing, and he knew it. The townspeople could not hold off a full assault now if they were attacked, because their production of iron was more than halved, and not everyone had an Ishibiya to fight with. Also, ammunition would be low because their capability of producing and purifying iron had been reduced.

"For the benefit of my samurai?" scoffed Asano. Such arrogance! Did they really think that his samurai were such failures? They could easily rip apart that group of rabble defending that hopeless little fortress of Eboshi's! "What nonsense is this?"

"Sir, I am sure you remember how your samurai were badly beaten in the skirmishes you have had, do you not?" said Ashitaka, making use of everything he could to convince Asano not to attack. However, he could still sense that Asano wanted Iron Town very badly.

"Yes, I do, and I am very much enraged by it," came his reply. He clenched his fists, angered by the inability of the samurai to take that puny fort. It would be a welcome addition to what he already had, and mass production of the Ishibiya would ensure future victories. Why couldn't an entire army conquer something so small?

"If you attempt another assault, you will surely fail. Lady Eboshi and her people are a resilient few, and they will ensure that every last one of your samurai will die if an assault is mounted."

"Oh?" This caught Asano's attention. "Really?" He wanted to know if it was the truth, because his men seemed to fear those weapons more than anything else, and certainly, he would not want to be reputed as a man who knowingly sent his men to be slaughtered. If indeed it was true and those fearsome firearms butchered his men, then his people would certainly desert him.

"Yes."

"You make it seem as if the Eboshi woman has me wrapped around her thumb, and that I would be a fool to attack. How will I know that you're not lying?"

"Sir, if truly we could not fend your men off, we would not have bothered with diplomacy. Instead, we would have sent assassins."

This, Asano agreed with. They would certainly have eliminated him to cause confusion among the ranks of his soldiers, after which they would have no worries about fighting a massive army marching upon their town. However, there were some particular tactics that he feared. According to his generals, the people of the town poured boiling hot water or oil, and even poured molten iron upon his troops when they attacked. It seemed that they would not be an easy bunch to take care of.

"Very well, I believe you… I will not attack them," said Asano half-heartedly. He wanted to give Ashitaka the impression that he was not going to attack, just in case he required the element of surprise later on. It would be an important thing if he were to besiege the town.

"A wise choice, Sir."

"However, I am suspicious… Previously, when I attacked, I knew that my samurai penetrated quite far into the town. What makes it so impossible for me to get further than that with more men?" he questioned, cornering Ashitaka. He would have to have some kind of intelligent reply to this in order to prevent further violence. It was already on the verge of happening; this was a rather sensitive issue.

Ashitaka was stumped. He knew that Asano would ask this question, but he didn't know what to say in reply! If he could not answer, then Asano would see through the bluff, and samurai would descend upon the town in short order. That, he could not allow, for the sake of both San and the townsfolk.

"Lord Asano, it would not be wise to sacrifice so many lives to conquer the town. The battle of attrition would certainly drain your men before they could finish the battle." Asano pondered the possibility, and knew that the men would not be on familiar territory and conditions might not be favourable. However, he wanted to put the town to the test. After all, what did he have to lose? Perhaps a few hundred men would die, but if he could take the ironworks and all the iron ore in the region, he would be the most powerful shogun!

"Guards, arrest this man!" he commanded. Ashitaka was shocked beyond belief. Immediately, both his escorts made a mad dash for the door, but the second one turned back to look at the scene just as Ashitaka drew his sword. Ashitaka was resisting three samurai with all his strength, parrying blows from his left and right. However, he was only one man, and they overpowered him. Two of them held his arms while the third beat him repeatedly, trying to knock him out.

"Run!" urged the first escort. "We don't have time! Let's go, damn it!"

Before he left, he saw a katana raised directly above Ashitaka, and he turned and ran immediately. They vaulted over obstacles and bolted down the corridors, wanting to leave the castle as quickly as possible. The careless guards had left the gate open! This was perfect! Immediately, they made a mad dash for the gate, pulling Yakkul by the horn. The stubborn animal refused to move, because it wanted to wait for Ashitaka. Faithful and loyal, it could not be forced to do otherwise.

"Your master is dead," whispered the escort. "The samurai have killed him!"

Quite confused, Yakkul permitted the two men to lead him, and they rode away at maximum speed. "Stop them! Stop them, damn it!" exclaimed one of the guards. Archers attacked them, but they were well out of the range of their arrows now. The escorts turned their heads around one last time, then made their escape. They knew that the samurai would be preparing for an attack, and they had to get the message to Eboshi.

Days later, on one evening… 

"This is where we let you go, I think. Do what your master says you'll do! Go!" exclaimed one of the men, patting Yakkul's flank gently before hurrying back to the town. They had to hurry; there was no time! They had to inform Lady Eboshi of what had transpired!

Yakkul galloped towards the rock formation near the town. He had to be swift, and he knew what Ashitaka would want him to do – tell San what had happened. He would naturally want San to know of his death if he couldn't tell her himself. Sure enough, he found San sitting there, absently scratching Takeshi's head as he lay on the rock.

"Yakkul?" said San. "Where's Ashitaka?"

Yakkul began to speak to her, but with what limited ability she had to communicate with animals, she could not understand his message fully. It was something about Ashitaka and Asano, but she could not fully understand. Fortunately for her, Takeshi was listening to Yakkul.

"Ashitaka…" he began, unsure about whether to tell San what had happened. He suspected "Ashitaka has… perished at the hands of Asano."

"What!" exclaimed San. The shock was far too great. The stress she was experiencing from conflicting emotions was driving her up the wall as it were, but this was the last straw. "No!"

"San?" Takeshi turned and saw her expression. It was a quite mix between shock and anger. In her eyes burned the frozen flame of those combined emotions. She wasn't quite sure what to believe, but she didn't want to have to deal with any more than she already had to deal with.

"Leave me alone!" she yelled, running back into the forest. It was totally unlike San. Why would she of all people break because of the death of a human? However, Ashitaka was, indeed, one of a kind. Nobody on earth could possibly hope to replace him.

"Takeshi… We should let her be for a while. She must deal with reality," stated Takeru. He turned and walked away, in the direction of the wolves' lair.

"Yes, brother… For now, let us head home. San can take care of herself."

San, in the meantime, sat by the pool where the Forest Spirit had healed Ashitaka that night. She kicked the ground, yelling in anger, but at what, she did not know. _They took him from me… I need him… How could they? Why did they kill him? Why!_ All these thoughts at once were overloading San's mind. She did not like these feelings, but she knew that she could not deny them. _He was the only one who actually wanted to understand me… Now, there is nobody… I have no one to turn to!_

Now, there would be nobody who could understand her, because nobody else wanted to know her heart. She sat on the dried leaves on the forest floor, her tears starting to flow. _What are these things? Why do they hurt so much?_ She had never cried in such a manner before, and it was not a pleasant first experience.

She hugged her legs, and looked up to the moon. The moon… Every night, she would howl to Ashitaka to announce her presence. And tonight, she decided it would be no different. She let out one loud, powerful howl amid her sobbing, then her head sank into her thighs as she continued to cry her heart out. Something best done out of sight of her brothers, she thought. She knew not why, but she simply felt that way.

It seemed to take forever for her sobbing to subside. It just pained her so much to hear that Ashitaka had been removed from her life. It was as if part of her had been ripped out and replaced by a black hole, which could not possibly be filled.

She heard the crunching of dried leaves, and quickly turned her head in that direction. Yakkul, Ashitaka's closest companion. The elk rubbed its nose against her wet cheek, and she in turn stroked its head. "I know you miss him, Yakkul… I'll miss him too…" Yet more tears fell unstoppably as Yakkul tried to comfort her.

She started singing the song, and continued to a point where she could no longer sing. It was just too much for her to take. She collapsed and just lay there, crying because of her internal strife. Her emotions seemed to be doing battle inside her, ravaging the battlefield. Destruction reigned within, and she could only throw herself further into the confusion.

Darkness… The darkness of sleep had taken her once again. However, sleep was no longer so pleasant. She felt like she was plummeting into an endless void! It was as if the black hole that now replaced Ashitaka was consuming her, and she would have no way of escaping it. The pain she felt came and went as the night passed, and it was a terrible night indeed. However, the next day would be even tougher to overcome.

San felt a familiar warmth around her. Ashitaka? No, it couldn't be. This warmth was from… fur. She opened her eyes, and indeed, Takeru was there, having curled around her.

"You're awake at last," Takeru stated. "That's a good thing… Come; I must show you something." San mounted Takeshi, and immediately he ran through the forest. Where was he taking her? What could be so important? "Almost there, San."

When he finally stopped, the sight that greeted her was an enraging one. Two hundred samurai marched and rode on their horses through the forest as if they owned it! She felt the anger within her build up as she looked at them, and a frown formed on her face. Her blood began to boil at the sight of them. The arrogant bastards thought they owned the world, it seemed.

"Look at them, San. That Asano man must have sent them," commented Takeru. She held the obsidian dagger in her hand. It was the one thing that reminded her of Ashitaka, and of their special relationship. It bonded her with him emotionally, and she was going to keep it with her as long as she was alive and kicking.

"It would be rash to attack them now," Takeshi told them, biting off pieces of deer meat for San to have for breakfast. "We must co-ordinate with the humans of the town before we do anything."

"Just the way Ashitaka would have done…" San muttered to herself. Takeshi handed her spear to her with his mouth, and she stabbed a piece of meat with it. She pulled it off and consumed it, and instructed Takeru to ride to the town without alerting the samurai to their presence.

"I've been waiting for you," stated Eboshi as San and Takeru arrived at the gate. "My men have told me what happened that day. I am truly sorry about what has happened."

"Save your breath. The samurai are marching here," Takeru exclaimed. "If we are to defeat them, we must co-operate." Eboshi nodded, whereas San remained silent, only looking at Eboshi with her spear in hand.

"The riflemen are ready to fight, but I only fear that they might not be able to fight very well. We are short on iron, so we may have some trouble. We will need your help."

"Agreed," said San. "We will be within the forest. We will strike upon your first gunshot."

With that, they parted, Takeru running back into the undergrowth. The forest had grown all over, and conveniently, the terraces were just under a heavily forested area on the mountain, where they could remain concealed until the samurai came along.

And wait, they did. San was letting her rage build up so much that she felt she could explode with anger at any moment! The samurai were going to pay for what they did. And if they so much as thought of cutting into a tree, the repercussions would be unimaginable!

Then, she heard the clanging of metal and the click of hooves against the road. The clanging and clicking gradually got louder, and eventually the samurai split into groups on the road. Two hundred samurai seemed to be a rather small number, seeing as Asano commanded a huge army.

Seconds later, a shot came from one guard tower in the town, impacting the leading horseman in the head and blasting it clean off his shoulders. San pulled her clay mask over her face and tapped Takeru's side with her right heel, and he immediately leapt out of the undergrowth, Takeshi not far behind.

"Heeeargh!" yelled San wildly as she separated from Takeru in mid-air. The shocked samurai she was targeting had no time to react before her spear pierced through his throat. She quickly pulled it out and left the man to rot as her brothers attacked the rear half. The first hundred or so had charged the town, and were attempting to break down the gate, leaving the rear to catch up.

One young samurai pulled out his katana, but even then, San could see that his blade was trembling. The foolish human would die, and pay for his master's actions. With another terrifying cry, she drove her spear into the gap between the samurai's armour plates, tearing right through his gut. She pulled out the spear and went on to fight any straggling samurai that her brothers had not yet attacked, leaving the one she had just gutted to die a slow death.

Once again, she felt alive. As more gunshots came from the town and screams of pain were heard, she continued to fight them. Right now, she cared about nothing other than killing these men, who were defiling the forest as it were, with their blood.

She was living up to her title as Princess Mononoke. She moved and fought so swiftly that even the samurai, Asano's crack troops, were terrified! The way she fought struck fear into the hardest of their hearts. Adhering to their beliefs, they took hesitant steps backwards. Witnessing such superhuman speed and reflexes, the samurai could not help but feel that they were fighting for a lost cause. Indeed, the battle was already decided. The spirits of the samurai had been crushed, but they would not retreat. While one line of samurai fought the Wolf Clan, those still alive committed seppuku, ritual suicide. They would rather die on the battlefield than retreat in shame, but San could not understand this human ideology. What was there to gain from killing oneself on the battlefield? What would it do to assist their cause?

As these thoughts occupied her mind, her brothers had slain the last line of samurai, and the scene that greeted her was most gruesome. More than a dozen samurai lay with their blades protruding out their backs, bleeding to death if they weren't already dead.

Meanwhile, the townsfolk were having no problem in dealing with the samurai at the gates. Gunfire and hot oil poured from bowls above was used for most of the defence, and most of the samurai lay writhing in agony, either badly scalded or bleeding to death. San looked to the ground, at one samurai who was still alive. He was still breathing, and his eyes begged her for mercy.

_All right… I'll grant you this,_ she thought as she pulled the obsidian dagger from her neck. The knot came apart as she planted the spear in the ground. She dealt one blow with blinding speed, plunging the dagger into his throat.

"San, do not think that the battle is over," said Takeru. She nodded. There would be more coming, and she was ready for them. She wanted to fight them all, not because she wanted to help Eboshi – she would sooner die than do so – but rather, because she wanted vengeance and a release from all the pain she felt. Takeru came to her side and rubbed his snout against her hand. "Let's go for now."

She mounted Takeru and rode down the path with Takeshi behind, heading for the wolves' den. As Takeshi sped into the forest, she rubbed the blood away from the obsidian dagger, not wanting to stain it with a human's blood. It was a gift from Ashitaka, and was now a memento of the past. She would not forget him as long as she lived.

Later that evening… 

"San… You haven't eaten anything since this afternoon," Takeshi said, placing a mouthful of meat in front of her. "You must eat."

"No. I'm not hungry," she replied coldly, not even turning to look at him. Her eyes were fixed on the moon, which was visible even through the downpour. Alas, even the heavens were crying today. Her legs crossed, she sat under the shelter of the rock above, contemplating the seemingly bleak future. What was there left for her? What future was there? Ashitaka was no longer with her, and they could not fulfil his wish to create a path of neutrality in a world of conflicting ideologies.

"San, we know you are saddened by this event, but you must still survive. You cannot allow his passing to affect you so badly. It will not help your situation to starve yourself!"

"Go away," she said. Takeshi lowered his head and turned away. It was quite unnatural for her to behave in such a manner, though her speech remained unchanged – she was direct as always. However, he understood that Ashitaka meant the world to her, but now that world was shattered. It was replace with absolutely nothingness; a void that could never be filled by anything or anyone else.

"San is not eating," reported Takeshi to his brother.

"This is not good… Not good at all!"

"Yes, brother… I know. We must talk her out of this behaviour!"

"Yes…"

"But it will not be easy, if at all possible… She was so emotionally attached to him; I'm not certain if she can put it behind her and move on." Takeru lowered his head and ate his food solemnly yet worriedly. It was not a good sign of things to come…

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The chapter you've all been waiting for is here:O

I'm pretty busy with exams right now, so updates will be quite sporadic... Enjoy. Tell me what you think. D


	4. Chapter 4

Nobody Knows Your Heart 

A Princess Mononoke fan story

By Jikuuharuto

Chapter Four

In the darkness of the night, San saw the moon shining upon the forest. Its silvery beams seemed so beautiful against the dark backdrop. Oh, how she and Ashitaka had spent those nights just sitting here and looking up to the beautiful night sky.

_Everything seems so pointless without him… The world feels so empty! _San sighed as she rolled the obsidian dagger between her first finger and her thumb. She felt like crying again, but it was as if she had cried her eyes dry, like she could cry no more than she already had.

The events leading up to now had been extremely difficult for her to take all at once. First, the humans defiled the forest and shot her mother. Then, they killed all the boars, and forced Okkoto's blood to boil, to the point where he became a demon. Then, they killed the Forest Spirit, and in the process, destroyed every last part of the forest, as the headless Nightwalker killed everything it touched. Her mother died in the process as well.

Depression because of all those events was beginning to set in, and hearing that Ashitaka had died was just too much to take. She now felt like the world was crushing her, and it was as if she were carrying infinitely heavy emotional luggage, which pushed her further down with every passing moment. She was mentally strong, but every person had a limit to how much they could withstand. She was just about to reach the breaking point!

From a distance, the wolf brothers observed their sister as she leaned against the wall and simply stared into the distance. They could hear her singing in a whisper-like tone, given their sensitive ears and relative silence of the forest. "This is not good, Takeshi. I can sense anguish within her."

"Yes… She's singing again, and she only sings when she feels great pain. All the events leading up to now have certainly taken their toll on her."

"Indeed… We must watch over her." The duo lay on the grass as their sister fell asleep, against the wall, finally getting some respite from the emotional burden she bore.

"He would have made a fine mate," commented Takeshi. "He was the best human I ever came across."

"Truly, even now I feel that he was deserving of her company and her love," said Takeru. His initial apprehensions of him had long since disappeared, but he was truly a unique fellow. His path was clear-cut neutrality, despite the fact that he had to be a bit violent about it at times. Indeed, it would have worked for the benefit of everyone to follow Ashitaka's path and pave the way for harmony between humans and nature. However, with his passing, that possibility was now gone.

However, just two days later… 

He looked at his right arm, then to his entire body. They had brutally beaten him up, and had given him several cuts. He was on the verge of breaking, just as he was. His shirt was damaged and his leggings were tattered and torn, but at least he was still alive.

He remembered what they did. First they punched him and kneed him repeatedly while he was tied to a wooden stake in the courtyard, then they cut him with various weapons. Oh, the agony of it all! As if that weren't enough, their acid tongues poured fourth insults and vulgarities in the process! If they wanted to beat him up, they could go ahead and beat him, but he wouldn't say a word.

He thought about what had transpired just the other night. In the courtyard, a familiar face, he could see, among the samurai. It was the man who had reprimanded Yahiko and brought him to see Asano! The courtyard was quite well guarded, but where they bound him to the wood, it was not very well lit.

**That night…**

He received a direct blow to his already badly bruised abdomen, and wanted to bite the fellow for doing so, but instead, he brought his mouth to Ashitaka's ear. Ashitaka looked at the samurai, a confused expression showing through his mass of dirty and bloodstained hair.

As if prepared for the unspoken question the Samurai suddenly said, "I'm setting you free. Sneak past the guard at the open doorway and go down the corridor as silently as you can. Feel around for a hollow in the wooden floor; that's your way out. There's only one guard patrolling that corridor, so hide from him first, then open that floor panel. It leads into the drainage, but I think you'd rather get out of hear stinking yet alive rather than a rotting corpse."

With that, the samurai cut his bonds and slapped him, to cover up the fact that he was telling Ashitaka how to escape. "As for why I'm releasing you, let's just say that it's not honourable to treat an envoy as such, when he has done nothing wrong. It is against the code of Bushido, the very core of the samurai values."

As the samurai turned away, he bowed for a few moments, in honour of a true samurai, who had every intention of upholding the code of Bushido despite what Asano was doing. The corrupted lords of the entire country couldn't care any less about Bushido; they were more interested in power and personal gain!

The stench of the putrid water remained on the lower ends of his trousers and his shoes; the drain was full of human waste, rotting food, insects and rats. Oh, how he was glad that he was out of there! It stank worse than Nago's corpse!

However, the experience of escaping was much worse… It was like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire! He had a way out, and he took it, but the frightening thing was that there were yet more samurai on patrol outside! He sneaked his way through the village nearby, knowing full well that samurai would be everywhere. However, it was the shortest way out, and he needed to get back to the forest within the shortest possible time his feet could manage.

The very next day, there were samurai out on the roads, patrolling! It wasn't very normal; when he first came here, he saw no such patrols around. What had happened? Why were there suddenly so many samurai within proximity of the castle?

_I guess they found out that I escaped…_He ducked out of sight, behind a few bushes, as a noisy bunch screaming orders to each other passed by. "Find him! Lord Asano wants him back for torture! Quickly!" _The bastard Asano just won't give anything up! _He ended up sneaking around the bushes, buildings and trees, evading the samurai.

It was not a particularly easy experience, but it was better to suffer while escaping than throw himself back into the lion's den to be tortured again. There would be no second escape; they would not make the same mistake twice.

At least now, he was safe. He pressed on his sleeves, ensuring that they were tightened around his wounds. _Why didn't they kill me when they had the chance?_ He wondered as he struggled down the road. The occasional passer-by or horseman would slow down to look at him, and at his wounds, before continuing on their way. He was given more sceptical looks as he continued on the way he had gone before going to that accursed Asano's castle. _I suppose it doesn't matter now… I have to go back._

He bore the pain of all these wounds and injuries as he went back. At one point during the torture, he felt like he was falling apart. They had battered him so badly that whenever he moved, he felt as if a thousand fangs were biting into his muscles, which were badly bruised. Dark patches had formed everywhere on his torso, the result of enduring beatings by at least a dozen samurai.

A town. He had come so far in just two days. For four full days, he had been horribly tortured and battered, refusing to speak. All he wanted was peace, not war. Why couldn't they all live together in harmony?

He had to go back… She was waiting for him. Only God knew how long he would take to return! Without a ride of any sort, there was no way he could possibly get back soon without walking non-stop all the way! Besides that, he was weary and wanted very much to simply collapse on the road and relax for a few hours. But no, he had to keep going. He knew that samurai were probably on their way – he had heard that they were amassing not only one, but two strike forces. The first would determine the town's abilities, and the second would adjust their strategies according to the situation.

Asano would pay for his actions, somehow! Eboshi would not have produced enough iron with which to fight the samurai by this time.

As his battle with fatigue continued, the blazing sun beat down on him as he searched for a water source. The townsfolk simply eyed him curiously, not rendering assistance of any sort to a battered, bleeding Ashitaka. As if to answer his prayers, he saw a small stream running through the centre of the town, under a bridge.

Quickly, he removed his sleeves and dunked his arms into the water. The stream's flow was steady and not too fast, and the water was rather cool. However, it stung the cuts in his arms, which had not been disinfected or washed. He was taking a risk, but at least he could now clean his arms. He remained in the waist-high stream for over a minute, letting the running water cool him down and wash his wounds while he washed his bloodied sleeves.

He then knelt down to drink from the stream, satisfying his parched tongue. It felt heavenly, the cool water in his mouth. Having been denied proper water for the last few days, this was a welcome relief.

_The town… I wonder what happened? Has the second strike force begun its march yet? They must have… I must warn the townsfolk, and San, too! The first attack was just a ruse!_ The clever bastard Asano saw through his bluff. True, he probably would have anyway. The last question was a test. If he paused, then Asano would know he was lying. Why didn't he think of that earlier? But it didn't matter now… What mattered was that he had to leave immediately! And with that, he was on his way, once more.

Back in the forest… 

"Wolf-girl bring bad things only! Wolf-girl does not care about the forest!" exclaimed one of the apes, who hurled a rock at San. "Humans come to the forest again!"

"It's not my fault!" she exclaimed in her defence. "Just what did I do to deserve this!"

"That human brings more humans! We must find him, kill him and eat him!" yelled another ape, tossing a large branch at her, which she rolled away to avoid. Her brothers growled and looked at her, seeking her permission to lunge at them and rip them to shreds. She shook her head, and her brothers simply continued growling at the apes as menacingly as they could.

The apes were beginning to get on their nerves. This was not the first time they had bothered San since that day when the samurai attacked the town. The brothers wanted so much to slay the apes for their misconduct, but San forbade them to do so every time.

"Kill the human! Find the human and kill him!" they yelled one by one. That was when she lost her cool. With a cry of anger, she threw her spear at a tree, and it planted itself in the bark like a dart would when it impacted a board. Quickly, the apes scattered, unnerved.

"Grrrr… Damned apes!" Takeru exclaimed as the last of the apes returned to the depths of the forest. "If you would just let me, I'd kill every last one of them!"

"Don't worry about them; it's all right," lied San. It wasn't all right, right now. It was only serving to further crush her under the immense burden she was already bearing. She wanted to just let go of everything for a while, and just unleash her pent-up fury. But on what? She couldn't possibly bring herself to destroy everything that she and Ashitaka had worked so hard to restore!

"San," said Takeshi, noticing the stress in her voice. It didn't quite seem normal to him. "You must not behave this way. Do not deny your true feelings; instead, pour them out if you must. Keeping them within you will not help you."

It was true. Indeed, bottling everything up would not help the situation! Perhaps it would be better to tell them… But now, nobody could possibly understand her heart, with Ashitaka gone. But somehow, she held on to the hope that he was alive. That dark, infinite void within her was consuming her day by day, much like Ashitaka's curse, except it was not physical. It would first take her emotions, and then, possibly, her life.

She sank to the ground, leaving her spear in the grass. Yes, her brother was right. She could not keep everything inside forever. Just like every pond had a certain capacity, so did she. She took in one deep breath, then exhaled audibly, lying on the grass. Where was Ashitaka, if he was alive? Could he possibly be alive? Yakkul wouldn't lie, but if he had been told by a human, in her opinion, that made the information all the more unreliable.

"I don't like these emotions… Not at all," she confessed, her eyes closed. Her brothers lay next to her, just in case the apes came back to further annoy her. She turned to her side, eyes facing the lake surrounded by a seemingly never-ending mountain range. Indeed, how she had missed him the past few days. They seemed to drag on forever, like there would be no end to the torture she was being subjected to.

She felt so alone, although she always had her brothers to accompany her. Yes, clan activities such as hunting took up some of their time, but it simply wasn't the same as before. With so much on her mind, it was actually quite difficult for time to pass quickly. She was always thinking of the same things over and over again – Ashitaka, Ashitaka, Ashitaka. Why he occupied her thoughts, even she could not comprehend.

Those three weeks they spent together were the most wonderful she had ever had. Every morning and every night was heavenly. They slept in each other's arms, enjoying the warmth from the embrace whether it was raining or simply windy. Yes, those were the best times she'd had in all her life.

But now, whether they would ever be like that once more would be determined by the truth. Was Ashitaka still alive? Would she be able to fight off the samurai and live to see him as well? Would Asano ever stop attacking now that he had found out about the town's weak defences? As she sat up, she heard a familiar lowing. She turned, and was greeted by Yakkul, who had lowered his head. She scratched the lower part of his head as he spoke to her.

Once again, given her limited communicative skills with animals, it wasn't very easy to understand him. "I… Find… Ashitaka?" she said to herself, translating. "You want to find Ashitaka?" Another low confirmed the message, and she stroked his relatively long neck a few times, smiling. He really was serious about it. As long as there was hope, there was a chance that he might be alive, and already on his way back. "All right… Go!"

Instantly, the great red elk was full of energy. He turned, reared and galloped away faster than any horse in all of Honshu possibly good. The single thought of finding his master and best friend was now his infinite source of strength! He had to find him, for Ashitaka's sake and for everyone else – especially San.

"San, why don't you go with him?" suggested Takeshi. She shook her head, stroking his fur in response with a very slight smile.

"I can't go. I have to defend the forest; somehow, I feel that those samurai came here on a suicide mission only because that Asano wanted to test the defences of the town. They will return in greater numbers," she replied. Takeru half-barked in agreement. Humans could not be allowed to defile this forest any longer, and the people of the town could not be permitted to destroy the forest any more than they needed to survive. A battle would surely not only destroy the humans, but everything else in the forest.

"And when they return, we will be prepared to slay them all," Takeru said. Takeshi would have sighed, but San was right this time. If she left with Yakkul, there would be one less defender of the forest. It was not a major handicap, but still, every bit of help counted. But then again, was Ashitaka alive? This would have to wait until Yakkul's return to be determined.

However, our hero was not having things easy this evening… 

_Samurai!_ _Where'd they come from?_ He dove behind a ridge to conceal himself from the passing horsemen, who appeared to be in quite a hurry. There must have been hundreds of them - it took almost five full minutes for the footfalls of the passing samurai to fade into the distance! They seemed to be chanting some sort of battle cry, and sounded quite relaxed. Perhaps they should be, because the initial wave of samurai had been sent to waste the town's defences, and now this entire army of them was going to attack!

But were they Asano's samurai? He had to make sure. He threw himself upon the rocks, then cautiously peeked over the top of the ridge. He looked at the banners they carried, and sure enough, they bore the identifying colours of Asano's forces. They really were going to attack!

"Hey, I need to relieve myself. You guys go on ahead," he heard one of the samurai say. _What a loudmouth,_ he thought to himself as he climbed aside. He watched as the samurai, carrying a bow in his left hand and a quiver of arrows slung across his body, did his business. As he turned around and was about to run towards the columns of samurai marching down the road, Ashitaka grabbed him and threw him against the ground harder than he ever had done to anyone before.

Instantly, the fellow was out cold. He held two fingers to the man's nose to ensure that he was still breathing – he didn't want to have to kill anyone unnecessarily – then, he seized the bow and arrows, and was on his way once more. Fortunately, it would not have been too easy to see him in the evening. Most of the sun's light was gone, and he was going to follow the samurai himself until they set up camp to rest for the night. Then, he would work his way around them and go as far as he could before he was too tired to sleep. He nodded to himself as he broke into a run, wanting to get as far ahead of the samurai as he possibly could.

It would not be easy to avoid detection until nightfall, which would probably be a few hours away. Into the woods he went, and he followed the distant sound of their rhythmic battle song, one which repeated the message that they would slay their enemies. _How are Eboshi and her people going to fight all of them off? There's no question that she'd suspect that another wave is coming, but how are they supposed to fight when they can't produce enough iron to support such a defence?_

He shook his head as he walked between a few trees, hoping to conceal himself from the samurai until night fell upon the land. He followed them from where he was, hidden in the trees, which were growing on a ridge that rose above the main road. Walking to the forest would probably take another four days or so via the main road, unless he had Yakkul. Oh, that elk was truly his best friend. He could always be trusted never to run away when he was needed most, and could always be relied on when the situation called for him to be put into the thick of the action.

When they finally stopped, he looked up into the sky. It was painted a magnificent dark blue, a sure sign of the coming night. An hour he would wait, after which he would make his way through the trees to get a head start without alerting the samurai. He could endure blows from a few men, but he certainly couldn't fight off an entire army himself. This was the one time he wished he still had his curse, but reminded himself that such thinking was very unbecoming of a former Emishi prince.

The curse had taken so much from him, but given him even more than he could ask for in return. He thanked fate that he had met San in the process. From the first moment he looked into her eyes, he knew that she had the resolve of a pillar of stone. She would not be easily talked out of anything, which is precisely why he forcibly brought her out of Iron Town to prevent them from killing her.

She was beautiful, though tomboyish in certain manners. It was where his words failed him. He could not possibly ever describe how beautiful she was with mere words; one would have to look right into her face to understand. Even when she was angry, she was beautiful.

He sighed. He wanted so badly to be in her presence once again! He decided that he would have his chance to see her again, and that alone was enough to spur him on. He picked up the pace, darting quickly between the trees whilst making as little noise as he could. He was already halfway past the samurai camp, and he would be far ahead of them by the time he was too fatigued to carry on and had to sleep.

In the darkness, he kept going, guided only by the moonlight and the sounds of the camp. The softer the sounds were, the further they were. Hence, he would know if he were far ahead of them, and once he could no longer hear them, he would continue on the road for a while before moving off the road to sleep in any concealed area he could turn into his temporary bed.

As the sounds of the camp and the lit fires faded into the distance, he found himself exhausted and hungry. Not only that, he was missing San once again. Those three weeks were the most memorable he had had thus far, and he would not forget the time they had spent together. There were mornings when they caught fish together, and he ended up pushing her into the water for fun.

He smiled as he continued with his brisk walk despite his hunger. He hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast, when a kind soul had offered him some meat. He had declined the Good Samaritan's wine, and instead accepted the bowl of milk he had been offered. _Thank goodness for that kind fellow. Without that food, I don't know how I would've gotten this far… _With that, he sighed, and continued down the road as fatigue began to take over.

The next morning, he found himself hidden in a small depression in the ground, well hidden by trees and bushes, but it was next to the road. He then recognised this as the route he had taken to get to Asano's castle as quickly as possible. His escorts knew the shortest route there, as they had once lived within proximity of it. It was quite a good thing, really.

He sprang to his feet, still wondering how he had managed to even find a place to rest while half-asleep. _I have to keep moving. I can't let them catch up!_ He began moving once again, this time completely exposed. Trees did grow along the road, but they were not growing in such density as they were a few kilometres behind. This would leave him without cover, but if he simply pressed on, he would still be ahead of the samurai army behind him.

How long more would it be? He was afraid he would not be able to last much longer on his two aching feet. Leather footwear certainly wasn't the best for running around everywhere, and this was why he wished Yakkul were with him. Yakkul… Where was he?

As if to answer his question, he heard falling hooves, and immediately grabbed an arrow from the quiver and readied it, just in case it was a horseman. Soon, a familiar horned figure came into his sight. Grinning, he lowered the bow and arrow. "Yakkul!" he greeted the elk as it approached steadily. He patted Yakkul's back. "Sorry to worry you. Let's go!" He then leapt onto Yakkul's back, and allowed the animal free reign as it charged back the way it came. Surely, he would be back in the forest by the night, and the samurai would be too far behind, still marching together.

Together, they rode all the way down the route they had come from before like lightning. Never before had he seen Yakkul run this quickly! He mused as to whether San had been feeding Yakkul some meat, which the herbivore was certainly not supposed to. He almost burst out laughing at the thought, but decided to keep it to himself. _Run like the wind, Yakkul! Run!_

Later that night… 

"Hmm? This scent… And these tracks!" exclaimed Takeshi. "Yakkul has returned!"

"Not only the elk… Ashitaka!" added Takeru, looking at his brother. "We must inform San of this. She will be elated!"

"Agreed. Let us make haste!"

The two wolves dashed away from the dirt path, littered with dried leaves. Previously, they would not have been so excited to know about Ashitaka's presence, but they were now on slightly friendlier terms. And even then, they were more concerned about San than their personal preferences. They wanted her to feel good, and not have to suffer on the inside like she had.

Fortunately, Yakkul's optimism about Ashitaka had lifted San's spirits. She too, did not want to give up. Hearing that Ashitaka had perished was quite a blow to her! It had almost instantly plunged her into depression, a seemingly bottomless pit where she would fall forever. However, Yakkul's animal instincts said otherwise about Ashitaka. Somehow, the elk knew that he was still alive, and was on his way. And indeed, he was!

She had returned to eating as per normal, and was having her dinner as her brothers returned. "San!" She turned around on the leaves, her bloodied hands holding onto a small chunk of meat. She continued chewing as Takeshi continued his sentence. "We have detected fresh tracks, made by the elk, and Ashitaka's scent!"

She almost choked as she swallowed her food. Her eyes shot open in surprise so quickly that she thought they might fly out of their sockets! "What!"

"It is true!" declared Takeru. If he agreed, then it had to be true! But if Ashitaka had returned, where was he? "His scent and tracks lead directly to the town." This caused San's level of jealousy to skyrocket. Why did he first return to that damned woman's town?

"Do you not want to see him?" enquired Takeshi. She nodded, and mounted the wolf, then pointed towards the rock formation where she had been every night for so many months. Upon reaching there, they sat together, both wolves flanking her.

She cleared her throat, then requested that her brothers join her tonight. As a child, Moro had taught her to howl, despite her human physiology. It was possible to a certain extent for her to howl like a wolf, and for more than a decade, she practised with her brothers the art of howling. Now, they would do it once again, as they had done before. Three united howls rang out across the forest, all the way to the town!

_Those howls… San and the wolves! They know we're back? But how? Must be because they detected our tracks and scents…_ Ashitaka thought to himself as he turned in the direction of the howling. With a slight smile, he headed for the wall he always stood at every night. Fortune was smiling upon him, indeed. He had endured so much suffering, and returned to the town to be greeted like a hero. He had done so much for the townsfolk, and they wanted to repay him.

They did so in a very simple way – they held a feast! Singing and dancing aside, the feast was excellent. They were still making iron, and the iron being generated was barely enough to pay for their food and make their Ishibiya. However, they would continue living thusly, until the fruits of their labour in farming showed. Then, they would be able to support themselves instead of having to generate more and more iron to buy the food they were all eating.

"The first attack by the samurai was a suicide," reported Ashitaka. She already knew this, but she decided to let him tell her more. "They were probably only testing your defences to see if you were really incapable of producing enough iron to mount a defence. They'll be coming."

"How is the food, Ashitaka?" asked Eboshi, though she obviously had more serious matters in mind.

"I'm sure you have more important things to worry about… There are hundreds of samurai on their way here. I saw them myself. If those samurai attack you and San – Princess Mononoke – decides not to assist you, you're doomed." He resumed eating, having had nothing to eat throughout the entire journey. They had been in such a rush to come here that they had not stopped for a long rest, much less a meal.

_Clever boy. He caught on quick._ She smiled, and she truly wanted to laugh. "You're intelligent enough to deduce these things. That's why I'm enlisting your help. You're the only one who can talk the wolf-girl around. She helped me the first time, but I'm not too sure about whether she'll help me again." He swallowed another spoonful of his congee before he turned and spoke to her again.

"Hmm… You're right, but I'll help you on one condition."

"Name it."

"Don't harm the forest in your battle. She will not be happy about it."

_Heh, even now, he thinks of his little wolf-girl. Very well, I'll agree… But we're not dealing with a ragtag group of wanderers here… We're about to fight a professional samurai army, and for all we know, we might not be able to fend them off. Regardless, we must try._

"Deal."

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The chapter you've all been waiting for! XD

Well, with exams and stuff out of the way, I can finally upload my stuff... Stay tuned! 3


	5. Chapter 5

Nobody Knows Your Heart 

A Princess Mononoke fan story

By Jikuuharuto

Chapter Five

"There certainly is a lot of noise down there," stated Takeshi. "They love to celebrate…"

"Some sort of foolish human behaviour," snapped Takeru. "Possibly to welcome him. However, I don't see the point in it. They may have succeeded in fending off one attack, but is it possible for them to do likewise for a second attack while their men are all drunk?"

_I don't care about those humans anymore… I just want him back!_ San patted her brothers' fur coats, only now noticing how blue and thick they were. In the distance, she saw the fires within the town, which was once again lit like a matchstick struck in complete darkness. How many trees were they burning? How many had they already felled? How much more did the forest have to cry out in pain?

"I see something, San," reported Takeshi. "It looks like… Yakkul, and Ashitaka!"

"He's coming," declared Takeru. "Let's return. He will surely come looking for us there."

"Wait a while," San said hesitantly. She stood up to get a better view of the gates, and saw that Ashitaka was taking the shorter route, diving into the water with Yakkul to get to the bank. "All right… Let's go!" She hopped onto Takeru's back, and they made haste for their home.

_You're alive… That's… I'm so… I can't describe what I feel! _San wiped a single tear from the corner of her right eye as they charged through the forest, zipping between the trees.

"What's wrong?" asked Takeru, turning his head while still running. "Don't think I didn't see that." Indeed, he did. He was extremely observant, and little could escape his watchful eyes.

"It's nothing," she said. "Keep going."

The wolf grunted and sped up with every intention of reaching the cave ahead of Ashitaka, who was undoubtedly on the bank by now. Perhaps the human wasn't so bad after all – he was willing to put himself in the cold water just to get here. As the wind howled, they approached the rock formation, and speedily climbed to the very top to await the duo that they wanted to arrive.

The cool night wind played with San's hair, which was fortunately held down by the headband that she wore. It had been a gift from the apes when she was still a child, when the Wolf Clan still commanded plenty of respect in the forest. Everything had gone downhill ever since that woman brought her guns and assorted weapons.

First, Nago turned into a demon, having been shot by a rough ball of iron. It pained him to the bone, and when the pain reached an unbearable level, he lost it. His anger, pain and hatred manifested itself in the form of burning tentacle-like projections, which destroyed everything they touched and would curse the flesh of any creature still alive.

Then, the apes began to blame the wolves for Eboshi's presence. It was as if everything was San's fault now! Just because she was physically a human, the apes refused to listen, and ceased obeying them.

Takeshi's nose tingled at the detection of a faint, but familiar scent. It was Yakkul, and the distinct scent that Ashitaka had. "He's here," he announced, turning to San. She nodded, and went out of the cave to meet him.

Ashitaka dismounted and patted Yakkul, after which he turned to San. After several moments of simply taking steps toward each other, he walked forward and took her into his arms. Oh, how she missed this warmth! She longed to be in his embrace, and now she was finally within it again! She returned the favour, winding her arms around his back.

"Ashitaka…" she mumbled, a complete mix of emotions surfacing from the depths of her heart: anger, jealousy, sorrow, emptiness and most of all, love. The past few days had been quite a living nightmare! Now, it was over.

"Shh…" he whispered into her ear, simply wanting to hold her while the wind continued unabated through the forest. It hadn't been that long, but it certainly seemed like forever since they were last together like this, in each other's arms. She buried her face in his chest, and enduring the agony within his battered body, he pulled her closer to himself. He could feel the tightened layers of bandages on his chest getting gradually wetter, but he remained standing with her, under the moonlight.

The more her sniffling became audible, the tighter he held her. At one point, he feared that her spine would snap, given how tight his arms were around her – they were like a vice grip! It was far better to allow her an outlet for her emotions rather than for her to seal everything inside.

"Ashitaka!" she exclaimed, leaning on him so much that they both fell onto the grass. He grunted in pain, but it was nothing that he could not endure at the moment. For San, any amount of pain was bearable!

They lay together in the grass, the moonlight shining brightly upon them. She sat up, her knees on the ground, by the sides of his thighs. Cleaning some of the tears from her cheeks, she could see clearly his face. It had not been scarred very badly, but he had several bruises on his forehead and cheeks, and another cut lower than the previous one she had given him.

She put her right hand on his left cheek, her thumb gently caressing the scar. It had a sort of tender yet firm feeling, as if she wanted to feel the scar, and then rip it off so that his face would have one less flaw. He gently seized her wrist, which startled her slightly.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." She nodded, and he pulled her back down on to his chest. It ached to breathe, and with her weight on him, it only made it more painful. However, he wanted more than anything to simply feel her slender, beautiful self within his grasp. He never wanted to be separated from her again! "I'm sorry if I worried you."

"It's all right," she replied, now literally breathing down his neck. Her left hand played with some of his hair, which felt rather smooth. It didn't quite feel like the hair she had felt on the men she had personally slain – perhaps one of the multitudes of things that made him unique. She licked his neck once, having missed the taste and texture of his skin. It would sound somewhat cannibalistic and perverted to the average person, but she was very different from all other humans, indeed. He stroked her hair with his palm, then simply lay there with her on top of him. He sighed, relaxing at last.

"Let's go inside," suggested Ashitaka. She nodded and stood up, turning towards the cave. He followed San inside, leaving Yakkul outside as the wolves left the cave. Both eyed him in a critical manner, having picked up the scent of his blood through his bandages. He had suffered enough, and they wanted to trouble him no further.

As the pair settled down inside the cave, Takeshi turned to his brother. "A fine mate to continue the Wolf Clan, he will be."

"Heh. Don't speak too soon. He still has to survive the coming battle. Undoubtedly, more of those humans will be trudging through the forest within days."

"True… but we will assist him, will we not?"

"Yes… We will do anything to help our dearest sister. We may well be the last of our kind, and it is quite possible that she is the very last of us who can continue the line of our clan."

"Be more positive, Takeru. Surely there are other wolves out there," the optimistic Takeshi replied. His brother was always the pessimist in any situation, but it could be a good thing when San was concerned. He was always worried for her safety, and for her well-being. Any threats to the stability of her emotional homeostasis would be swiftly dealt with, unless they were beneficial to her.

"That's easy for you to say, you optimist." Takeshi shook his head, exasperated. His brother was a hopeless pessimist.

"We should get some rest – we will surely need it in the near future."

"Agreed…" said Takeru, lying prone and shutting his eyes. He took in a deep breath of the night air, then let it out as he entered the realm of sleep.

The prince and princess lay face-to-face on a bed of leaves, simply gazing into each other's eyes. For too long, they had wanted to simply do this throughout the night. Her eyes were the most beautiful he had seen – those emerald eyes, with that wonderful intensity that none other shared. His eyes were the same, a solid emerald ring around the dark pupil in the centre. However, his eyes showed his emotions, and displayed his rock-solid resolve.

Ashitaka put his hand to his chest, as if it would ease the pain there. How badly he had been beaten, he did not want to know. All he knew was that a rain of blows descended upon him after he resisted arrest, and they had playfully cut his arms, alternating between grazes to deeper wounds. The samurai bastards… He wanted to kill them all now, but what good would it do? It would only cause him to feel worse on the inside, as if he were some kind senseless of killing machine! That was certainly not what he wanted.

"What's the matter?" she asked, her peaceful expression suddenly changing to one of curiosity, with a touch of worry.

"Nothing… It hurts, but I'm fine."

_If only the Forest Spirit were still here…_ thought San. Thinking about the Forest Spirit led her to think about all the events that led up to its death, resulting in another mess in her emotional battlefield! The feelings she had felt: anger, sorrow, worry; they all came rushing back in an instant, like a dammed-up river suddenly unhindered! But she had to control these emotions, now. Ashitaka would not want to see her like this.

"Let's get some rest…" he suggested as he lay his head back on the bearskin, and he shut his eyes. Every part of his battered, broken body ached! From his toes to his neck, everything had either been taxed to its limit, or had been brutally bashed by a dozen sadistic bastards! Indeed, he would barely recover from his wounds by the time the samurai arrived. While he travelled, the wounds had been healing by themselves, but he might not be fit for battle by that time.

San agreed, and lay by his side instead of on top of him. He was already asleep! Fatigued, he was. It couldn't be helped – he wanted to get back as soon as possible, and ahead of the samurai, too. Before she closed her eyes, she gazed at the sea of stars in the night sky; they dotted it much like the trees punctuated the landscape. And off, into the darkness, they went.

"San!" A low, deep voice was calling her. "San, wake up!" She jolted awake, and saw Ashitaka lying where he was, still asleep. She turned her head to see Takeru behind her, "They are not far from the forest. I estimate that there are close to nine hundred of them. They appear to be splitting into groups, and are moving to surround the forest." She sprang to her feet and grabbed her spear from where it was on the wall, glancing towards Ashitaka one more time. She would let him sleep for now while she surveyed the deployment of the samurai from the forest.

Takeshi remained behind, while Takeru and San took off into the depths of the forest. He could sense within his gut that Ashitaka would need him later, but for what, he didn't know. He lay and waited for him to awaken, watching as the sun rose from its nightly hiding place behind the high mountains. He heard a slight moan of pain, and watched as Ashitaka rose from the leaves, looking around. "Where's San?"

"She went with Takeru to the forest. Apparently, the samurai have arrived, and they went to see just what the samurai were up to," replied Takeshi, turning around and heading out the cave.

"All right, then. You tell San that I'm going back to the town to warn them. I'll go with Yakkul." With that, Ashitaka dashed out of the cave, and speedily mounted Yakkul, who had been awake since Takeshi entered the cave. Ashitaka rubbed his chest, which was one of the most painful areas. The initial pain had been numbing, but it hurt even more now that some of it had subsided. And indeed, the bruises there hurt more than the cuts and abrasions on his arms and legs.

Still, he wondered why he hadn't been killed. They should have slain him, but yet, they didn't! Why? An interesting act of compassion? No, that couldn't be it. He shook his head to clear his mind, and tapped his heels on Yakkul's sides to get him to return to the town as quickly as possible. "Go, Yakkul! Run!"

"Humans…" muttered San, still holding on to her spear. They peered through holes in the thick bushes on the mountaintops, looking at the little beige dots here and there denoting moving samurai, as well as the huge red and white banners. "Why do they have to be so stupid?"

"They're humans. What do you expect? Look… They're walking through here like they own the place!" San gritted her teeth, and resisted the urge to tell Takeru to charge and attack the samurai. Logically speaking, it would be suicidal to do so, and secondly, Ashitaka would be against such a rash act. "They're encircling the town, which is what I deduce from their dispersal pattern."

"Seems like a stupid strategy… The water will slow them down, and they'll never get over the walls."

"As Mother once told us, humans used the most stupid strategies possible when their enemies seemed to difficult to overcome. Foolish humans…" San shook her head and scratched Takeru behind his right ear, then directed him behind with her spear. Takeshi had arrived, and was about to deliver his message.

"Ashitaka has gone with Yakkul to the town to warn the Eboshi woman about the current situation."

"Let's go," instructed San, pointing her spear in the direction of Iron Town, which should have changed its name to something else by now. After all, it didn't produce as much iron as before.

"Yes, we already anticipated that they would come here when the escorts reported that you were dead. So, we sent a few groups to set traps for them – of course, the traps will not harm the forest too badly," Eboshi replied, carefully stressing that the forest was not that badly harmed. With some rope and wood, they could easily make traps along the roads and paths, and could possibly reduce the number of able-bodied samurai that came from down the road.

"All right. I'll try to get the wolves to help," replied Ashitaka as the men atop the gate battered the iron plate with their hammers to alert the townspeople.

"The wolves are coming!" exclaimed the guard.

"Open the gate," commanded Eboshi. "Quickly! We don't have time!"

"But… My lady, is that wise?" asked Gonza. He was greeted by her usual calm expression, and from this he knew she was confident that it would be all right. He nodded, and signalled for the gate operators to open it. All ten men began work, lifting the massive structure bit by bit.

The wolves stopped outside, not wanting to step into human territory. They did not fear the humans – in fact, it was the reverse! The humans were afraid of them! However, they refused to step into a place of defilement. Ashitaka and Eboshi passed through the gates, while the guards watched on from above, still doubtful about the truce between the wolves and themselves.

"What's the situation like?" enquired Ashitaka.

"Not good. I saw about nine hundred samurai are moving through the forest to surround this town," answered Takeshi. "What are your plans?"

"The townspeople can't fight the samurai well directly. They're not trained to do so like the samurai are. They're going to need our help," replied Ashitaka, carefully selecting his words. "They will use their rifles, but they will try not to harm the forest. There are also traps set up in the forest to deter the samurai and reduce their numbers in case they don't stop."

"What we'll have to do is to ambush them once they show themselves and regroup," suggested Eboshi as Ashitaka looked at her, wondering whether she had a plan in mind.

"Who asked you, human!" demanded Takeru furiously. He growled, but Takeshi looked at him with eyes that almost literally begged him to stop being so easily angered. He lowered his head, looking away. Ashitaka nodded in agreement, and looked at San. She looked back at his eyes, and she saw the same resolve in them that had dazzled her all this time.

"All right. We'll stay in the forest until you give the signal."

"Very well. The same signal as before?" asked Eboshi. San confirmed it with a nod, and the wolves left. Before Ashitaka could ask, she turned to him. "The last time the samurai attacked, we used a gunshot as a signal for her to strike. That girl fought like a monster that day."

"She fought the samurai?"

"Yes, it's completely out of character for her to help us. However, that is of no consequence, as long as my people are unharmed. Thank you, Ashitaka. I am truly grateful to you." He nodded, then beckoned Yakkul to step out from the town so that he could ride on him and follow San. Before mounting Yakkul, he bade the townspeople goodbye, and he was on his way.

He still had the bow and quiver he had procured, as well as new arrows that the more generous people of the town had made for him. It was not their tradition, but there were visiting artisans who could work wonders with a simple knife and a block of wood, and hence could very easily create arrows from wood made from felled trees. They were not the high-quality ones with stone arrowheads that he was accustomed to using after so many years as an Emishi, but they would suffice. Once he caught up to the trio, who were heading away from the main road, he decided on a plan.

"There's no way to talk them out of fighting," began Ashitaka. "So, I have a plan. San, Yakkul and I will handle the samurai on this side of the forest. Takeru and Takeshi, the two of you will ambush the samurai on the mountains."

Who was he to make such suggestions? But it didn't matter now, because they had a battle on their hands. Surprisingly, the wolves agreed! San nodded, and upon reaching the edge of the forest, they stopped. San and Ashitaka dismounted their rides, and the two wolves took off for the mountains. The three made their way into the thick undergrowth, deep enough to see the samurai when they came but not reveal their positions. It was quite a difficult estimate to make, too!

They settled down behind the thick bushes, and San stole a glance at Ashitaka, who had, since the last night, been wearing only bandages and his still-bloodstained sleeves. _What happened to his shirt?_ As his hand subconsciously reached for his chest again, she turned to him and enquired as to what had happened to his shirt.

"The people working in the garment sector of the town told me that they'd make me another shirt," he replied honestly. It was true; they wanted to give him one as a gift to celebrate the fact that he was still alive. She made no reply, but instead held her spear, absentmindedly sliding her thumb up and down the section of the pole. "When all this is over, I'll stay with you in the forest." This was rather surprising for San. Both her eyebrows rose in curiosity and surprise. She turned to him, and he knew what she wanted to ask. "I'm serious."

**The next morning…**

"They're here…" muttered San, tapping Ashitaka's back to get his attention. He nodded, surveying the area. Red and white banners flew high as the noise and clatter of samurai warming up for battle rang loud and clear in the early morning. There were at least fifty of them, right below! More banners and beige dots punctuated the mountain range, a visible sign of the presence of the many samurai. "But there don't seem to be as many as there were yesterday."

The samurai had come in the wee hours, while he was asleep. He and San had taken turns to stand watch, but he had been awake the most. He clamped his eyes shut for slightly longer than a second to ensure that they were wet, so that he would not fall asleep.

"That means the traps worked. I don't know what they used for traps, but they promised not to destroy the forest," replied Ashitaka, despite knowing that San would not believe completely that the townspeople would keep to their word. He was the only human she was willing to trust, and she had to take his word for it, if she wanted to know what the humans were up to. "Let's wait for the signal."

As one arrow with a flaming tip screamed skywards in the dimness of dawn, the samurai let out a great battle cry. Ashitaka mounted Yakkul, with San behind him so as not to obstruct him when he needed to use his bow. In moments, the entire army descended upon the town! He gestured for Yakkul to get closer to the edge of the cliff, but not so close that it would reveal them.

_The samurai are already attacking! Where's the signal?_ Yakkul and his two riders moved along the cliff to keep up with the samurai; most were wearing only shoulder, forearm, torso and shin armour, but there were some who also wore a full set. Evidently, the weather and terrain did not suit full battle gear well. It would have been far too hot, and would have made it extremely uncomfortable to fight wearing all that armour.

Gunshots rang loud and clear, and the first samurai on the road below fell, dead or wounded. Despite that, their comrades still trampled over them! Surely, even the wounded would have died under such circumstances. San leapt off Yakkul, much to Ashitaka's surprise. She dove downwards at a forty-five degree angle, readying her spear and preparing for a rough landing. As she impaled her spear into one man's back, Ashitaka shot an arrow into another one's neck as he raised his blade overhead.

San was alone down there, but he could do nothing about it now, except to help her by shooting them. Her sudden strike had halted a portion of the attack force that was coming directly down the road, and was buying time for the riflemen at the town's walls to give the samurai a taste of their iron.

She removed her spear, gutting the fellow and leaving him to die as the other samurai stepped back hesitantly. They feared her, for they had heard tales of savagery within this forest, and of a strange woman possessed by a wolf's spirit. They had no intention of fighting a wolf, whether in its true form, or in a supposedly helpless girl! While they nervously looked at each other, riflemen at the wall were firing, and Ashitaka was also shooting at them. With every swing San made with her spear, they moved back even further.

Under such circumstances, they listened to their instincts, and made a mad dash in the opposite direction, hoping to regroup with a larger force. It was a human tendency to crowd together, for some reason that San could not quite grasp. However, now that some of the men coming down the road had been slain and the rest had gone to join other areas where they were attacking, the riflemen shifted their focus to the other walls.

San looked up at Ashitaka, who pointed towards the cliffs around the town. "The samurai are coming from the cliffs! They're going to try to close the distance as quickly as possible so that the riflemen can't fire at them accurately! We have to stop them!" he yelled. She nodded, and dashed through the road towards the mountainside with blinding speed! He and Yakkul went down the cliff by sliding down the side, following in San's direction.

"Quickly, Yakkul!" exclaimed Ashitaka over the din of battle. The sound of bullets ripping through samurai armour and the hulls of wooden boats rang clear, and he knew that the heat of battle had only just begun building up.

He readied another arrow as Yakkul approached San. Now, they stood between a cliff and a fortress, the only obstacle between dozens upon dozens of men and their objective. While San showed no visible fear, he could feel that she was not entirely comfortable with fighting so many men herself. She mounted Yakkul as arrows rained upon them and they continued moving, until Takeshi and Takeru sprang from their hiding places and ripped the archers atop the mountain to bits. The two wolves descended upon the samurai, splitting their ranks into further disarray before joining San and Ashitaka at the bottom.

This was not the original plan, but now, the samurai were approaching far too quickly. But what was the reason? The only entrance in and out of the town was the main gate – no! There were more entrances and exits in the walls that the workers used to maintain the sturdiness of the wooden obelisks used for defence! They couldn't afford to let even one samurai inside! Even if just one broke through, chaos would reign within the town!

"San! We can't let any of them through! There are entry points in the wall!" exclaimed Ashitaka, shooting an arrow at one of the oncoming samurai as they gathered and moved down the mountainsides. It met its mark, pinning the man to the rocks temporarily, and sending him into a world of pain he wished he'd never known.

"Stay back or you die!" threatened San, despite knowing that the humans would never listen. Now that they were coming in larger numbers, they felt safer. But no… They were hopelessly wrong, if they thought they were safe! The defenders at the wall hurled balls of iron and gunpowder with lit fuses into the fray, blasting some of the samurai to bits. However, the river of men in front of them would not cease! This would not be easy…

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That ends chapter 5.Can youfeel the angst:O

Sorry I took so long to update. I don't wanna lose my readershi, so pleasebear with me>.>;

Thanks for the reviews, all of you. I LOVE YOU ALL! D

Until my next update, cheers.


	6. I am so very sorry

My sincerest apologies.

As a writer I have failed in my mission to finish my writing… I am deeply, deeply sorry for abandoning everyone who has read my work. I offer you my sincerest apologies.

I was never satisfied with what I wrote and how things ended in the final chapter.

I leave it up to you to imagine, or perhaps even re-write my writing. I do not mind what you do with it as long as credit is given to me where it is due.

I cannot blame my circumstances and my life for not writing. All I can say is that I am sorry.

Please accept my humble apology, dear friends and readers.

- Jikuuharuto


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